by Emma Ames
Bubba stayed fixated on the body. “Maybe it’s for presentation.”
“Could be. Oh, and you shouldn’t mention the color of the ribbon to anyone,” Dan said.
Tizzy looked back at the Justice of the Peace as he covered the body. Someone needed to stay to keep Jay Roy from being buzzard bait. “So—it’s murder?”
“Gee, Tiz. Jay Roy’s naked, in a field at daylight, and he’s got a ribbon tied around his Johnson. I don’t imagine he came out here, stripped off, tied a bow, and died of natural causes. Do you?”
She frowned. “He could have been here for a rendezvous and suffered a heart attack.”
Dan spit on the ground, then raked the wad of tobacco from his mouth and hurled it across the road behind him. Tizzy grimaced. How he chewed that stuff was beyond her.
“I didn’t see any blood or visible wounds, but according to the law, we have to treat it as foul play until the autopsy says otherwise,” Dan said.
“If murder proves to be the case, Ridge is going to have plenty of suspects.”
“Whaddaya mean?” Synola asked.
“The girls from Jay Roy’s graduating class are in town for a reunion, and the story goes he nailed almost every one of them their senior year. I remember Dad telling stories how back in the day this was the place Jay Roy brought his dates. With the women here, could be he hooked up with one again for old time’s sake and got caught by someone who didn’t appreciate it.”
“That might be a good starting point, but Jay Roy was a legend when it came to the ladies.” Bubba cocked his head. Could be a recent conquest.”
Dan removed his hat and ran fingers through his hair, then replaced the Stetson and fished car keys from his pocket. “There’s a picnic basket, so it does appear he planned to hook up with somebody. Finding him this way, and a class of former lovers in town can’t be a coincidence.”
“Wow, I bet those girls had interesting slumber parties. Did any of them fall in love with him?” Synola asked.
“Yeah. He married three of ’em. One of ’em twice.”
Tizzy shaded her eyes with her hand and looked at the road in both directions. “How’d he get here? I don’t see a car.”
“No sign of clothes either but he’s wearing boots, so he probably walked. He lives right through those trees.” Dan pointed past the crime scene.
“We’ve got to go to work. I imagine the bakery will be buzzing with plenty of Jay Roy stories today.”
When they reached the car and slid in, Tizzy started the engine and looked at Rayann. “You’ve been mighty quiet, and I noticed something going on with you and Bubba.”
She remained silent for a moment, then burst into tears.
Synola leaned forward from the back seat. “What the heck? Jay Roy upset you? Were you even acquainted?”
“I am sorry Jay Roy’s dead, but it’s not him. It’s Dwayne. I’m sure he’s having an affair.” She swallowed and babbled on. “Should I have him followed? Bug his phone? I can’t imagine he’d do this to me.”
“Oh, good Lord. You’ve jumped off the high-rise of insanity and landed in the middle of crazy town.”
Tizzy reached over and patted Rayann’s shoulder. “Synola’s right. He’s been in love with you since high school. He wouldn’t do that.”
Rayann wiped tears and tried to catch her breath. “I’m a terrible person. Poor Jay Roy is dead with his jiggly-bits exposed to the world, and I’m concerned with my own problems.”
“We can’t do anything for Jay Roy.” Synola grunted like a disapproving teacher. “Tell us why you’re convinced Bubba’s cheating.”
Rayann hiccupped the words out. “I—found—makeup—on—his—collar.”
Tizzy gripped the steering wheel. She didn’t believe it, but apparently, Rayann did. “That’s not proof. An innocent hug will leave makeup.”
“I’ve found it more than once. How many innocent hugs is he getting?”
“Lord, this is why marriage is not for me,” Synola said. “The two of you are still newlyweds, and one’s being ignored, and the other thinks her man is cheating. I was crazy enough to think Jay Roy’s giant pocket rocket would be the drama of the day.”
Sneak Peek
No Good Without You
A Sparrow, Texas Romance
Coming Soon
Swan Malone dug her fingernails into Chase’s chest, warning him to get his tongue out of her mouth. But like always, he ignored the signal, leaving her no other choice than to shove her knee to his groin.
A little gurgle came from the back of his throat, and he jumped away. “Dang, Swan! That hurt.”
“Serves you right.”
“Cut!” In one motion, Director Sam Spangler yanked his headphones off and rushed toward the pair. “Chase, this is your last warning. Do the scene the way it’s written or—”
Swan didn’t let him finish. “It’s okay, Sam. One more take and I’m sure he’ll nail it.” She zeroed in on the troublemaker, held his gaze for a long moment, then scowled. “Right?”
Chase ran his hands over his face and pressed fingers to his temples as if to keep his head from exploding. “Sure. Just having a little fun. Clearly, I’m the only one here with a sense of humor.”
“Not true.” Swan rocked back on her heels and fought the urge to dig the wedgie out of her butt. She wanted to rip off the irritating costume and soak in a hot bath, and that wouldn’t happen until Chase cooperated.
“My sense of humor is as healthy as the next person’s, but honestly, you don’t know when to stop. Pull a prank once, it’s funny. Twice, amusing, three times, it’s downright annoying. One more take, right or not—I’m out of here.”
Red-faced and tight-lipped, Sam sighed so hard it was a wonder smoke didn’t shoot from his nostrils. He squared up to Chase. “Must not have made myself clear. Test audiences hated the ending. They want Raine and Tracer to share a kiss at the end. A sweet kiss. So, stop trying to perform a tonsillectomy on Swan! Remember, with the few scenes you have, it isn’t too late to replace you. Hell, this reshoot has put us over budget, so recasting your part will be easy. Got it?”
Oh, he got it all right. Swan could tell by the way his face blanched. Not a good sign for a superhero. If the threat of losing his budding career didn’t whip him into shape, nothing would—except his agent.
Swan wondered how long it’d take before Deidra stepped in. Since she represented Swan and Chase, she stood to make a truckload of money off this picture. Dee must have been telepathic because she pocketed her phone and hurried toward her leading male client. She looped her arm in his and flashed Sam a smile so sweet it was a miracle it didn’t attract bees.
“Don’t you worry about a thing. Just do it once more, and I promise he’ll be a good boy.” She glared at Chase and stretched her Georgia drawl as tight as it would go. “Won’t you, sugar-pie-honey-bear?”
“Absolutely.”
Swan marveled at how skillfully the woman managed him. Then again, she’d landed him the part over hundreds of other unknown actors and two box office hotties. And with social media buzzing, this movie would be a top-grossing film. Not to mention the ridiculous charade of an off-screen romance Dee invented. Taking advantage of Swan’s inexperience, Dee insisted having Chase as a fake boyfriend would make Swan off-limits to unwanted advances.
A good selling point, since Swan’s heart already belonged to Teague Shanahan. But unfortunately, he was halfway around the world, ensuring America’s freedom. Maybe he was even on his way home. He’d already been gone over a year, and as much as she admired his patriotism, enough was enough. Let someone else defend our country.
Although she’d not heard from him in months, she’d texted and emailed him every day. The whirlwind of stardom kept her busy, but a combination of missing him and homesickness made her stomach hurt. But she had a plan, and as soon as she returned to Sparrow, she’d remedy the problem.
“Places everybody,” Sam said. “We’re going to try this one more time. Keyword, one.
Right, Chase?”
He rolled his eyes, then flicked his finger. “Got it.”
Sam replaced his headset, plopped into his chair, and motioned to the assistant director. She held the clapperboard in front of the camera. “Quiet on the set. When Raine Falls, take 9. Action!”
An hour later, Swan sat in the backseat of a stretch limo headed to Hollywood’s Hot Topics daily show. She hated interviews, repeating the same information over and over. How did singers perform a song thousands of times without going nuts? Perhaps the sound of their own voices made them happy. No way her Texas twang brought joy to anyone in TV land.
Deidra nudged her shoulder. “Hell-lo? Hollywood to Swan.”
She snapped from her trance. “What?”
“What’s on your mind, sweetie?”
“Having to answer the same old questions, yet again. With my life picked apart on social media, you’d think people would be sick of me.”
“Loosen up, buttercup. No matter how many times you’re interviewed, people still want to hear about your rise to fame. And with my clever co-star boyfriend angle, they’re more intrigued than ever.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Swan announced her decision, “About that. So far, it’s been speculation. But the minute I’m asked a direct question about my relationship with Chase, I intend to tell the truth.”
“Okay.”
Swan blinked and tried to clear the confusion. Okay? Was that all she had to say? Way too easy. “Did you hear me? I’m not willing to pretend Chase and I are an item.”
Dee rummaged in her purse, retrieved a compact and a tube of lipstick. “Loud and clear.”
“You’re not upset?”
“Listen, dumpling. It doesn’t matter what you say. The more you deny it. The more fans will believe it because it’s what they want. In Hollywood, nothing’s more realistic than a lie.”
“So even though I’ll be telling the truth, they’ll think I’m lying?”
“Right on, honeycomb.”
Swan pressed her fingertips against her pounding head. Sometimes having an agent proved to be more trouble than it was worth. She shifted in her seat. “There’s one thing fans love more than an off-screen romance.”
Dee smoothed her lips with cherry red, then snapped her compact shut. “Which is?”
“A messy breakup. I can announce our split today and fix the problem.”
“How will you explain this sudden turn of events?”
“I’ll say it wasn’t working, or better yet, no comment.”
“That’ll never fly, honeypie. If you ditch Chase for no apparent reason, you’ll come across as shallow, and your fans won’t like you. If left open to interpretation, they’ll decide he cheated, and then they’ll hate him. Either way, not a good idea.”
She opened her briefcase and removed a document. “I planned to save this news for later, but given your problem with telling a little fib, I’ll share it now. The studio sent over a contract last night for two Raine sequels. They plan to franchise the hell out of the character. A clothing line, games, dolls, the whole works. They’ve offered twelve million, but I think I can negotiate up to at least fifteen.”
All the air left Swan’s lungs. She put her hand against her chest. “What?”
“Listen, honeybunny, When Raine Falls is going to be huge. I’m talking bigger than Black Panther, which is about to gross two billion dollars worldwide. That’s billion, with a B. You announce a breakup, you can kiss your career goodbye—and what about Chase and me? We’ll go down with you. Is that what you want?”
The dilemma took Swan right back to the game she used to play at slumber parties. Given the right circumstance, anyone would bend their moral code. Like, would she ever commit murder, even if the person deserved it? Easy answer, no. But if the murder cured cancer? Lord, she hated that game, and here she was again, stuck in the middle of it. Tell the truth and wreck her career? Fine. But could she destroy the hopes and dreams of two other people?
Especially these two. At one time, Dee was homeless and managed to claw her way out with pure tenacity. Chase spent his childhood in foster homes, not all of them loving. Swan’s good fortune came easily. Perhaps this one little lie was her way of paying her dues. Besides, who would it hurt? Chase understood it wasn’t real. A sharp pain twisted in her chest. Yeah, she wasn’t lying to him, just everyone else.
The limo driver wheeled into the station parking lot, and Dee patted Swan’s knee. “Look, sunshine, I know this isn’t easy. So, here’s the deal. Don’t deny or confirm the love affair. Be vague. That will keep you from lying outright. Besides, people believe what they choose. In a few weeks, you and Chase will start the movie junket and will be traveling all over the country together. Paparazzi will eat that up.”
The knife of guilt plunged deeper. “We won’t stay in the same hotel room, will we?”
“No worries. I’ve reserved all suites.”
As the driver opened the door, Swan climbed out, then bent to face her agent again. “Good. Because I’ve decided to hire an assistant, and if all goes well, she’ll travel with me.”
“A companion? Anyone I know?”
“No. She lives in Sparrow. When I return home this weekend, I plan to make her an offer she can’t refuse. Now, let’s get this over with.”
Hollywood Hot Topic’s host Monica Wolfe clipped on her microphone and eyed Swan. “Don’t be nervous. I promise not to ambush you with any questions not cleared with your agent.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
The producer counted down. The music swelled. Monica plastered on a smile and focused on the camera. “My next guest is the hottest star of the most anticipated movie on the planet. When Raine Falls. Swan Malone is in the house! Welcome, Swan.”
“Thank you, Monica.”
“Let’s start with your rise to fame. It defines overnight sensation.”
Swan pretended it was the first time she’d heard the statement. That was the only way she could muster enthusiasm. “It does. I appeared in a TV promo for the University of Texas, and director Sam Spangler, who happens to be a UT alumnus, saw it and contacted me to screen test for the movie. It was a stroke of luck. Right place. Right time.”
“Don’t be so modest. This is a huge production. You wouldn’t have gotten the part without talent. Since it’s a superhero movie, it goes without saying it will have a lot of action, but that isn’t what it’s all about. I understand it also speaks to relationships. Especially between Raine and her mother. I’m lucky enough to have seen a couple of snippets. One involves you and your onscreen mom, Soleil, and I have to tell you, I believed you were mother and daughter. How did the two of you develop chemistry in such a short time?”
Swan cocked her head and shrugged. “I suppose it has something to do with the great relationship I have with my mother. We’ve always been close. Those scenes were the easiest for me.”
“There are some scenes that weren’t easy. This is a role with lots of physical demands. How hard did you train?”
“Extremely hard. With all the physicality of cheerleading, I thought I was in great shape.” She chuckled. “I discovered not so much. But I had a great trainer. That’s one thing I like about Raine. She isn’t naturally powerful. She does have powers, but she trains every day. I think that’s important. Especially for younger viewers to know even superheroes have to work hard.”
Monica leaned forward. “Speaking of young fans, especially girls, how proud are you to be a strong female lead and role model?”
Biting back tears, Swan commanded her emotions to stay in check. Serving as a good example, was the main reason she’d wanted the part. “So very proud. Not only about this movie, but the direction Hollywood has gone in the last year, featuring more women in roles like this.”
The host relaxed against the back of her chair and crossed her legs. “We’re almost out of time, and I can’t pass up the chance to ask about your co-star. Is he a dreamboat or what?” She fanned her face with b
oth hands.
Swan giggled. “He is that, for sure.”
“Oh, come on, Swan. Give us the dish on your relationship. The two of you are all over social media.”
Swan flashed Monica her best bashful grin and pictured the cameraman naked to achieve a blush. “Are we? I haven’t read any of those articles or had time to keep up with social media.” Lying wasn’t so hard for her after all. Those rolled out of her mouth with no trouble.
“I can’t let you slide with that answer. Are you a couple or not?”
After a long pause, Swan grinned. “All I’ll say is—he is very special to me.” Vague, but the truth.
Monica pressed her palms together as if praying, then clapped and squealed. “There you have it. You heard it first on Hollywood Hot Topics. Swan Malone and Chase Collins are officially America’s hottest couple!”
Once back in the car, Swan gulped water to cool down. Not from the weather, but the reaction caused by lying to Monica’s viewers. When the TV host made the false announcement, more than Swan’s pants caught fire. She gave new meaning to the word liar.
Deidra patted her shoulder. “Take a deep breath. You didn’t lie. You consider Chase a good friend, right?”
“I went along for the ride when Monica announced us as a couple. Same thing.”
Before Deidra could offer what would surely be an argument, Swan’s phone chimed.
“Hello, Mom. What’s up?”
“You’re still coming home tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but I won’t be there until after midnight.”
“Okay. Todd’s planned a family meeting. Oh, not the right word. Brunch. Saturday morning. That’ll let you sleep late and give Thacker time to arrive.”
An odd feeling crawled up Swan’s spine. “Mom, what’s wrong? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I guess I’m just tired from cleaning out the garage. Have a safe flight, and we’ll see you tomorrow night. I love you. Bye.”
“Don’t wait up,” Swan said, but Mom was already gone.
“What was that about?” Deidra asked.
Swan stared at the blank phone screen. “I don’t know, but something is wrong because Mom sounded weird.”